Rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah s RSP sweeps Nepal election, set to form govt

Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, known as "Balen," is poised to lead the next government in Nepal following a significant win in the general election held on Saturday. His party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), outperformed established political groups in the unstable political landscape of the country. Balen, who is 35 years old, won against former prime minister K P Sharma Oli, who has served four times and leads the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML). In the Jhapa-5 constituency, Balen received 68,348 votes, defeating the 74-year-old Oli by nearly 50,000 votes, as reported by the Election Commission (EC). This victory signals a strong public desire for change away from traditional parties. Balen is set to become the first Madhesi prime minister and the youngest person to hold this position in Nepal’s parliamentary history. The RSP, established in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane, has claimed 91 of the 117 declared seats by 5:30 am, according to the EC. The party won all 10 seats in the Kathmandu district and is currently leading in 34 additional constituencies nationwide, based on the EC's data. Traditional parties struggled to win over voters, who were concerned about issues like corruption and nepotism, as well as the need for a new generation of political leadership. The Nepali Congress (NC) managed to secure 13 seats and was leading in three, while the CPN-UML won only seven seats and led in three. The Nepali Communist Party (NCP) won four seats and was leading in three, the Shrama Shakti Party (SSP) was leading in three seats, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) won one seat, according to the EC. Additionally, one Independent candidate emerged victorious.